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<br />INTERNATIONAL WATER
<br />DISPUTES AND COOPERATION
<br />
<br />The diversion of Rio Grande Project
<br />water by the districts is closely moni-
<br />tored by the International Boundary
<br />and Water Commission (IBWC) to
<br />ensure that Mexico receives its lawful
<br />entitlement. The IBWC also under-
<br />takes structural projects on the Rio
<br />Grande, handles water and border
<br />disputes, and generally tracks Rio
<br />Grande use and regulation along the
<br />international boundary. The United
<br />States section office of the Commis-
<br />sion is in EI Paso, with the Mexican
<br />office located in nearby Juarez.
<br />
<br />The Commission was established by
<br />treaty in 1889 and has functioned
<br />continuously to the current time.
<br />Meandering of the Rio Grande down-
<br />stream of El Paso created the need for
<br />this body, as shifts in the river's
<br />course triggered boundary disputes
<br />between Mexico and the United
<br />States. Also, controversy arose over
<br />allocation of limited Rio Grande
<br />flows, resulting in an agreement at
<br />the Convention of 1906,
<br />
<br />Dialogue in the IBWC helped to
<br />spawn cooperative efforts between
<br />the two g9vernments. In the Conven.
<br />tion of February 1933, agreement was
<br />reached to construct, operate, and
<br />maintain the Rio Grande Rectification
<br />Project, This project stabilized the
<br />channel below EI Paso and provided
<br />flood control to the El Paso. Juarez
<br />valley. The Rio Grande riverbed was
<br />straightened into a confined channel,
<br />shortening its meander length from
<br />155 miles to 86 miles between EI Paso
<br />and Fort Quitman. Levees were built
<br />along the banks to provide a flood,
<br />way with a capacity of safely carrying
<br />11,000 cis of flow. The 100,000 af of
<br />flood control storage established at
<br />Caballo Reservoir was also a part of
<br />the project's overall strategy.
<br />
<br />Following these construction pro-
<br />grams, international gaging and
<br />monitoring efforts were initiated by
<br />the Commission. The 1944 Water
<br />Treaty between Mexico and the
<br />United States, in addition to handling
<br />Colorado River issues, required that
<br />the IBWC keep a record of the Rio
<br />
<br />Grande waters belonging to each
<br />country, Then in 1963, agreement was
<br />reached in the longstanding
<br />Chamizal dispute over 600 acres
<br />which were transferred from the
<br />south bank to the north bank by
<br />movement of the river in the late
<br />18OOs, The Convention of 1963
<br />provided for the relocation of the Rio
<br />Grande channel by the IBWC, with a
<br />net gain of 437 acres to Mexico.
<br />
<br />Although the Chamizal settlement
<br />ended decades of controversy, addi-
<br />tional issues remain unresolved in
<br />the El Paso area. For instance, con.
<br />cern is generated by the lack of sew.
<br />age treatment facilities on the Juarez
<br />side of the Rio Grande. But it is not
<br />only with Mexico that EI Paso finds
<br />itself at odds over water. In the 1970s,
<br />the city determined that it needed to
<br />plan for its long term water supply-
<br />and it looked to ground water under.
<br />lying southern New Mexico.
<br />
<br />THE EL PASO CONTROVERSY
<br />
<br />El Paso is a city of a half million peo.
<br />pie whose industries, parks, homes,
<br />businesses, and other activities use
<br />more than 100,000 af of water annu-
<br />ally. About half of this amount is con.
<br />sumed, while a majority of the rest
<br />returns to the Rio Grande via treated
<br />sewage releases. Although E1 Paso
<br />receives some surface water from the
<br />Rio Grande Project, a vast majority of
<br />its supply comes from ground water
<br />pumping,
<br />
<br />The city pumps its ground water
<br />from the underlying Hueco Bolson
<br />aquifer. This aquifer is estimated to
<br />contain 30 million af of fresh water, 10
<br />million of which underlie Texas. EI
<br />Paso is withdrawing 20 times more
<br />Hueco Bolson water each year than is
<br />annually recharged into the aquifer.
<br />El Paso estimates that it will deplete
<br />the Texas portion of the Hueco Bolson
<br />aquifer in 50 years, with significant
<br />water quality problems occurring
<br />much sooner. Moreover, the city con.
<br />sultants repOrt that by the year 1995,
<br />pumping from the aquifer will be
<br />inadequate to meet summer peak
<br />demands.
<br />
<br />EI Paso has implemented conserva~
<br />
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<br />troyeF~y,a~so"a~ ir ha~~ttetl1p.t~d:to>\,;
<br />~~q~~i.i additjonal water supplies thr()ug~,
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<br />aP:e1.i,~~H()n~;:~oJI:,~Ne\V M~}ic~;,st~~efit <.'
<br />ez1~~'e~ for- gro~:~<:iwaterp'e!1!!its.rne-~;
<br />rece.I1t denjal:of that' applic~ti~~'{see"
<br />below:ln thischapt~r) maycau5e EI P?SO
<br />to,att~t)lpt to,incre~se~ts acquisitions 'of '>'J
<br />agr~~~ltural,~<,.1t~r rignt~ in:'vVe#Je.x{l~, .l'
<br />~:.'sorriething which is now restricted by
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<br />contractual arrangement with locaUrriga-~
<br />Hon district~:!.El Paso'sdebS'lof(S' abp~l! .'J
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<br />: ,ap?werfulforce,in shaIJing water.'~ > 1:'~'
<br />:,Jnan~ge~ent in z:large: part of the Rio
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